Peter King Calls for 'Intelligent Debate"

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With Rudy Giuliani not running, and the re-emergence of terror issues in the city, the time is ripe for King to be a contender.

Rep. Peter King says that Republicans must have an “intelligent debate” over their opposition to the health care reform law and other policies backed by President Barack Obama, rather than stonewalling Democrats without discussion for the next two years.

A frequent Obama critic, the New York Republican said that his party must use substantive arguments to push back against the president. “Republicans have to conduct an intelligent debate, we have to show we're not just against President Obama and everything he does,” King said Monday night on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor."

Rep. Peter King says that Republicans must have an “intelligent debate” over their opposition to the health care reform law and other policies backed by President Barack Obama, rather than stonewalling Democrats without discussion for the next two years.

The House GOP is planning a vote next week to repeal the new health care law, an effort that's expected to go nowhere with the Senate and White House. But King believes there's more than symbolism at stake.

“This is a fight worth having,” said King, the incoming chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. It's a debate worth having. And I think it's going to frame the national debate for the next two years.”

King added he hopes the vote will open up a broader discussion of what the American health care system ought to look like. “I think we have to clear the slate and then show how we are going to replace it step-by-step,” he said.